Nikon AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED Reviews

Momentcorp reviews the Nikon AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED and writes;“This lens handles everything you throw at it, good contrast, excellent sharpness, and it also controls flair and ghosting pretty good too(as much as possible for a wide angle lens).This is by far the sharpest wide angle zoom I`ve ever used. It pretty much outperforms the Nikkor primes.”Rating:

Photozone reviews the Nikon AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED and writes;“The optical quality is on a very high though not unprecedented level. The center resolution is superb followed by generally very good borders. Distortions are quite pronounced at 17mm but not a real problem beyond. Vignetting is very well controlled except at 35mm @ f/2.8. CAs are very low for a zoom lens. “Rating:

Bythom reviews the Nikon AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED and writes;“Autofocus is very fast and hunt-free. Personally, I rarely autofocus a wide angle zoom, as depth of field is more important to me than focus speed, but if I were a photojournalist, I’d be very happy with the autofocus performance. “Rating:

Kenrockwell reviews the Nikon AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED and writes;“The focus rings turns continuously, even after you hit either end of the focus range. This is normal. It only moves when you move it yourself. Used properly, 17-35mm is super sharp… Nikon confirms this in their MTF curves. Shoot at f/5.6 or longer focal lengths, and it’s super-sharp everywhere in the frame. Bokeh is fairly good. At ordinary distances at 17mm stopped down, bokeh is neutral to good. At closer than 2′ at 35mm, it seems very neutral”Rating:

Nikon AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED User Manual

Nikon AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED Specifications

Lens-making is an art–Nikon artisans craft Nikkor optics from the finest materials, taking pride in adding their intellect and technique to bring the world’s finest lenses to life. They push the leading edge of lens-making in their effort to provide the “glass” that makes the world’s greatest pictures. AF Nikkor lenses work with Nikon SLRs for optimal performance, even the very latest. The 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF AF-S Zoom Nikkor Lens is the standard lens for photojournalism and travel photography, perfect for use with a film or a digital SLR.

It features a Silent Wave Motor, two types of aspherical lens (two molded-glass lenses and one hybrid), and two ED glass elements for higher optical performance, 11.02-inch closest focusing throughout the zoom range, M/A mode for quick switching between autofocus and manual focus operation, and nine-blade rounded diaphragm that achieves a natural blur for out-of-focus elements. The ED glass element reduces chromatic aberrations providing superior optical performance–even at maximum aperture. There is also no power drain when manually focusing.

ED glass: An essential element of Nikkor telephoto lenses
Nikon developed ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass to enable the production of lenses that offer superior sharpness and color correction by minimizing chromatic aberration. Put simply, chromatic aberration is a type of image and color dispersion that occurs when light rays of varying wavelengths pass through optical glass. In the past, correcting this problem for telephoto lenses required special optical elements that offer anomalous dispersion characteristics–specifically calcium fluoride crystals.

However, fluorite easily cracks and is sensitive to temperature changes that can adversely affect focusing by altering the lens’ refractive index. So Nikon designers and engineers put their heads together and came up with ED glass, which offers all the benefits and none of the drawbacks of calcium fluorite-based glass. With this innovation, Nikon developed several types of ED glass suitable for various lenses. They deliver stunning sharpness and contrast even at their largest apertures. In this way, Nikkor’s ED-series lenses exemplify Nikon’s preeminence in lens innovation and performance.

Nikon Super Integrated Coating ensures exceptional performance
To enhance the performance of its optical lens elements, Nikon employs an exclusive multilayer lens coating that helps reduce ghost and flare to a negligible level. Nikon Super Integrated Coating achieves a number of objectives, including minimized reflection in the wider wavelength range and superior color balance and reproduction. Nikon Super Integrated Coating is especially effective for lenses with a large number of elements, like our Zoom-Nikkors.

Also, Nikon’s multilayer coating process is tailored to the design of each particular lens. The number of coatings applied to each lens element is carefully calculated to match the lens type and glass used, and also to assure the uniform color balance that characterizes Nikkor lenses. This results in lenses that meet much higher standards than the rest of the industry.

Aspherical lens elements
Nikon introduced the first photographic lens with aspherical lens elements in 1968. What sets them apart? Aspherical lenses virtually eliminate the problem of coma and other types of lens aberration–even when used at the widest aperture. They are particularly useful in correcting the distortion in wide-angle lenses.

In addition, use of aspherical lenses contributes to a lighter and smaller lens design. Precision-ground aspherical lens elements are the finest expression of lens-crafting art, demanding extremely rigorous production standards. Hybrid lenses are made of a special plastic molded onto optical glass. Molded glass aspherical lenses are manufactured by molding a unique type of optical glass using a special metal die technique.

Internal Focusing
Imagine being able to focus a lens without it changing in size. Nikon’s IF technology enables just that. All internal optical movement is limited to the interior of the non-extending lens barrel. This allows for a more compact, lightweight construction as well as a closer focusing distance. In addition, a smaller and lighter focusing lens group is employed to ensure faster focusing. The IF system is featured in most Nikkor telephoto and select Nikkor zoom lenses.